Egrets ( ) are
heron
The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychu ...
s, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build.
Biology
Many egrets are members of the
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
''
Egretta'' or ''
Ardea'', which also contain other species named as herons rather than egrets. The distinction between a heron and an egret is rather vague, and depends more on appearance than biology. The word "egret" comes from the French word ''aigrette'' that means both "silver heron" and "brush", referring to the long, filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season (also called "egrets").
Several of the egrets have been reclassified from one genus to another in recent years; the
great egret
The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, an ...
, for example, has been classified as a member of either ''Casmerodius'', ''Egretta'', or ''Ardea''.
In the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries, some of the world's egret species were endangered by relentless
plume hunting
Plume hunting is the hunting of wild birds to harvest their feathers, especially the more decorative plumes which were sold for use as ornamentation, such as aigrettes in millinery. The movement against the plume trade in the United Kingdom w ...
, since hat makers in Europe and the United States demanded large numbers of egret plumes, leading to breeding birds being killed in many places around the world.
Several ''Egretta'' species, including the
eastern reef egret, the
reddish egret, and the
western reef egret
The western reef heron (''Egretta gularis''), also called the western reef egret, is a medium-sized heron found in southern Europe, Africa and parts of Asia. It has a mainly coastal distribution and occurs in several plumage forms: a slaty-grey p ...
, have two distinct colours, one of which is just white. The
little blue heron has all-white juvenile plumage.
Species in taxonomic order
*
Great egret
The great egret (''Ardea alba''), also known as the common egret, large egret, or (in the Old World) great white egret or great white heron is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, an ...
or great white egret, ''Ardea alba''
*
Great blue heron
The great blue heron (''Ardea herodias'') is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos I ...
, ''Ardea herodias''
*
Intermediate egret, ''Mesophoyx intermedia''
*
Cattle egret
The cattle egret (''Bubulcus ibis'') is a cosmopolitan species of heron ( family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus ''Bubulcus'', although some authorities regard ...
, ''Bubulcus ibis''
*
Little egret ''Egretta garzetta''
*
Snowy egret
The snowy egret (''Egretta thula'') is a small white heron. The genus name comes from Provençal French for the little egret, , which is a diminutive of , 'heron'. The species name ''thula'' is the Araucano term for the black-necked swan, a ...
, ''Egretta thula''
*
Reddish egret, ''Egretta rufescens''
*
Slaty egret, ''Egretta vinaceigula''
*
Black egret, ''Egretta ardesiaca''
*
Chinese egret, ''Egretta eulophotes''
* Eastern reef egret or
Pacific reef heron
The Pacific reef heron (''Egretta sacra''), also known as the eastern reef heron or eastern reef egret, is a species of heron found throughout southern Asia and Oceania. It occurs in two colour morphs with either slaty grey or pure white pluma ...
, ''Egretta sacra''
* Western reef egret or
Western reef heron, ''Egretta gularis''
Habitat
Egrets inhabit all continents; although they typically avoid the coldest regions, arid deserts, and very high mountains. They hunt and live in both saltwater and freshwater marshes.
References
External links
* {{wikispecies-inline, Ardeidae
Well written and illustrated Egret article ''Encyclopaedia Britannica''��USGS+24r5
*
*
Bird common names